In better times the religion of the tribe or state has nothing in common with the private and foreign superstitions or magical rites that savage terror may dictate to the individual.

The only difference is that religion is much better organised and has been around much longer but it's the same story with different characters and different costumes.

Every week I get letters from people worldwide who feel that the possibilian point of view represents their understanding better than either religion or neo-atheism.

There are a lot of Grinches out there that would like nothing better than to take any references to religion out of the holiday season.

Religion promotes the divine discontent within oneself so that one tries to make oneself a better person and draw oneself closer to God.

We're all sick of holy wars and bloodshed because religion is supposed to give us life and a better life and is supposed to bring out our best self. When it results in mass destruction and hatred and anxiety it's the antithesis I think of what religion was designed to do.

Religion for better or for worse has been politicized in blatant ways that have seldom been equaled in American elections.

It may be that religion is dead and if it is we had better know it and set ourselves to try to discover other sources of moral strength before it is too late.

My philosophy is to do the best you can for somebody. Help. It's not just what do you for yourself. It's how you treat people decently. The golden rule. There isn't big anything better than the golden rule. It's in every major religion in one language or another.

Our religion is itself profoundly sad - a religion of universal anguish and one which because of its very catholicity grants full liberty to the individual and asks no better than to be celebrated in each man's own language - so long as he knows anguish and is a painter.